KCE Glossary

A cohort study is an observational study in which a group of people (the cohort) is followed over a longer period of time to investigate whether certain factors (such as smoking, diet, lifestyle, etc.) increase the risk of a disease.

Characteristics of a cohort study:
•    Starts with people without a specific health condition
•    Follows them over time (years)
•    Compares exposed individuals with unexposed individuals
•    Can show correlations over time (but does not prove causation, as in an RCT)